One Year Later…
by Laura Scofield
Summary: When Ambassador Dannyl manages to get a day off work, he pays the young scholar Tayend a surprise visit at the Great Library…Dannyl/Tayend


**One Year Later…**

Dannyl felt the touch of the morning sun's warm rays as he stepped out of the carriage. He smiled to himself at the slight strangeness he felt at visiting the Great Library so early in the day. Ordinarily, his only chance to make a personal trip would be in the late afternoon, after he had finished his ambassadorial duties for the day. But today was different. He had specifically requested to have this day off, and he had been obliged. The First Ambassador would cover for him for the day. Leaving Dannyl free to embark on personal pursuits…

The tall magician climbed the wide stairs that led up to the library door. He never once failed to experience a rush of anticipation and excitement when he climbed these now familiar steps. Quickening his stride, he reached the top and knocked firmly on the door. He had to wait longer than usual for it to be opened, as he wasn't being expected today. But when it did finally open, Dannyl couldn't help but smile affectionately at the striking young scholar who stood before him.

"Dannyl!" Tayend exclaimed. His eyes widened in complete surprise as he took in the sight of his lover, whom he had not expected to see for at least another week. After this initial shock however, Tayend swiftly reached forward, and slipping his hand into Dannyl's, pulled him gently inside. "What are you doing here? Is anything wrong?" he asked in a tense voice as he securely closed the door.

"Don't worry Tay, nothing's wrong at all", Dannyl reassured him hastily. He hadn't expected Tayend to react so anxiously at his sudden appearance. But his fear made sense. Dannyl could have turned up unexpectedly to warn Tayend about something important, such as that their secret had been revealed. Dannyl stepped close to the scholar, and was relieved to see his body relax and his face brighten almost immediately. The grin which Dannyl found so endearing crossed Tayend's mouth, and his eyes sparkled with pleasure. Wrapping his arms around Dannyl's neck to pull his face down to level with his own, he lightly pressed his lips against the magician's. As Dannyl wound his own arms around Tayend's slim waist, the kiss deepened, making Dannyl's pulse beat rapidly and his breath quicken. His heart, and indeed his whole body swelled with adoration for the young man in his arms, and he felt an irresistible urge to never leave him again, never to release him from his embrace…

Tayend suddenly tilted his head back slightly as he ended the passionate kiss. Curiosity shone in his sky-blue eyes, as he asked, "So why are you here then? How did you possibly get time out of your hectic schedule to come visit me?" He playfully leaned back in Dannyl's arms, letting the magician know that the scholar was determined to get some answers before they continued their intimacies.

Chuckling, Dannyl raised a hand to Tayend's face and toyed with a lock of his gold-red hair. "I told the first Ambassador I wanted to visit some family in the outer city, and I needed the whole day off. I think he feels bad about working me so hard these past few months, so he gave in rather easily."

Tayend still looked slightly bemused, a look which only made him appear more attractive if possible. Then all of a sudden, understanding came to him. He gasped in astonishment. "You remembered, didn't you?! I…I've been counting the weeks we've been together since the very start - Yes, I know what you're thinking!" Tayend cried in mock exasperation, as he noticed Dannyl's amusement. "I bet you're thinking, 'Well he hasn't got much else to do during the day, all he does is re-shelf books and assist the rare visitor. It's no wonder he has time to keep track of how long we've been together, he probably knows the exact number of hours since the last time we've met!'" Dannyl replied by giving Tayend a smug look, just to vex him. The scholar rolled his eyes and continued. "Don't get all high and mighty on me, Ambassador. Not everyone can work 24 hours straight you know! We're not all bloody magicians!" Tayend finished in a rush, his cheeks flushed, but he couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

Dannyl could barely retain a serious face during this mock onslaught, and now burst out laughing. Tayend had a habit of going off on a rant on just about anything. Dannyl had observed that it seemed to be a national trait with the Elynes, to speak impulsively of whatever crossed their mind. It could explain one reason why rumours, both true and untrue, spread so rapidly throughout Capia, and indeed the whole country.

Dannyl stroked his finger down Tayend's flushed cheek, allowing him time to calm down. Eventually, the magician said softly, "Tayend, I do think you're underworked, but I don't hold it against you. And I don't wish you were a magician either. Imagine the damage you would wreak with your magic every time you flew into one of your rages?!" This made Tayend laugh too, and he allowed Dannyl to enfold him in a tight embrace once more.

"Anyway, back to why I came…I felt an overwhelming longing to spend today with you, seeing as it's been exactly a year since…well, since I realised how I felt about you, outside the Cavern. And…and I wanted to give you something…" Dannyl trailed off and blushed. Tayend raised an eyebrow as Dannyl reached into his robes and extracted a small red box from an inside pocket.

The scholar's face lit up with pure joy. "Oh Dannyl! You don't need to get me anything!" Taking the box from his lover, Tayend slowly opened it and delightedly examined the contents. Dannyl had chosen the pendant very carefully. He was aware of Tayend's great interest and study into certain animals. In particular, he displayed a tremendous fascination with taraschi: the large, wild, snow white felines who roamed some of the mountainous forests of Elyne. So Dannyl had gotten a small, but intricate pendant of a tarasha cat made by one of Capia's most reputable jewellers. The tarasha's eyes were two small diamond shaped sapphires, which Dannyl had asked for specifically, as the colour matched Tayend's breathtaking eyes perfectly. The magician wasn't accustomed to giving such personal and meaningful gifts to anyone, so he felt somewhat awkward but also contented, as he saw Tayend admiring his present. "Oh Danny! I love it!" he cried, promptly flinging his arms behind Dannyl's head, and leaned forward for a passionate "thank-you" kiss, which lasted quite some time.

When the couple finally disentangled, they paused for a minute, in an attempt to regain some degree of a regular breathing pattern. When he was somewhat composed, Tayend exclaimed, "But Dannyl…I didn't get you anything…" His face was expressively apologetic.

Dannyl just smiled. He loved Tayend more than anything or anyone else in the world, and was thrilled by the prospect of spending the rest of his life with the scholar. He moved forward and whispered soothingly in the young man's ear, "Your gift to me is allowing me the privilege of sharing my life with yours…" Dannyl faltered as tears of emotion blurred his eyes.

Tayend had never felt so touched in all his life. Grasping Dannyl's hands fondly with his own, he tenderly held him, assuring the magician that he was never going to abandon him. Resting his head against Dannyl's chest, Tayend sighed, "How could I even think of leaving you? It'd be impossible for me to love another after loving you…there's no other man that could rival _you_…" And full of yearning to express his point, he lovingly guided Dannyl towards their private study room.

_(I would be extremely grateful for any reviews!)_

_I'd love to hear any feedback that you can offer, especially as this is my very first fic posted here. Thanks! :D )_


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